Researchers say it’s hard to predict how tick season will end. Scientists said this year’s mild winter and earlier snowmelt could mean more ticks earlier than usual and a wider spread of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases.
In Connecticut, ticks are appearing in greater numbers this year, according to Goodarz Mulay, a tick expert in the state. Since January 1, more than 1,000 marks have been sent for the test program, and this is the second largest number of applications submitted in recent years. The state usually sees a lot of Lyme disease, which gets its name from the Connecticut city.
“It’s going to be an above-average year for tick activity and abundance,” Molay said.
What diseases spread jokes?
Infected ticks spread bacteria, viruses, and parasites that make people sick. Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne infection in the United States, mostly in the Northeast and Midwest. An estimated 476,000 Americans are diagnosed with Lyme disease each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The black-legged tick, also known as the deer tick, can carry more than one Lyme-causing bacteria. They can also spread babesiosis, anaplasmosis and Powassan virus disease. The lone star tick, found primarily in the Southern, Eastern and Midwestern states, can carry Ehrlich and Heartland virus disease. American dog tick It can spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Ticks pick up disease-causing germs by biting infected wild animals, usually rodents.
When does the season start?
It varies by region, but tick season generally runs from April to October. Ticks are mostly dormant during the cold winter months, emerging as temperatures rise, but they can be active on warm winter days as well. Memorial Day is often considered the start of the season, but that’s largely because people in cooler-weather states start spending more time outdoors, said Sam Telford of Tufts University College of Veterinary Medicine in North Grafton, Massachusetts. Lyme disease cases usually peak in June, July and August. April and May are usually, but not always, lighter months.
Small ticks in the nymph stage — about the size of a poppy seed — could be active as early as this year, said Dr. Bobby Brett, who studies tick-borne diseases at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “When we have mild winters, we expect ticks to come out earlier and bite humans,” Brett said.
What makes for a bad season?
Government disease watchers say predicting the trend of tick-borne illnesses is complicated. The number of ticks can vary from region to region, and prognosis can be affected by how well different doctors test and report cases. A changing climate has both positive and negative effects on ticks, Telford said, as warm, humid weather is good for them, but particularly hot weather is not. Little ticks can be active early on, he said, but hot dry summers can also kill ticks. The best approach is to assume the tick will be very active. He said, “Every year should be considered a bad year.”
How can people protect against convulsions?
Thank God there There are many ways to prevent tick bites. The CDC recommends treating clothing with products containing 0.5% permethrin. It’s also important to be especially careful in areas where ticks live, such as grassy areas and trees. The CDC says using repellents and getting thorough checkups afterward is also key. Limiting exposed skin also helps avoid bites.
The disease can cause fever, chills, fatigue, and muscle and joint pain. It is treated with antibiotics, and most people recover. Left untreated, it can worsen, causing symptoms such as heart problems and debilitating pain. There is no Lyme vaccine on the market in the United States for people But one test is being done.